Future-proofing wastewater infrastructure: Fulton County’s Big Creek expansion sets national benchmark 

By David Clark

In the field of public infrastructure, the true measure of success often lies in what goes unnoticed — seamless service delivery, regulatory compliance and systems that silently support growing communities. But when a major facility must be expanded and reengineered from the ground up, the stakes shift from quiet efficiency to deliberate innovation. 

Such is the case with the newly expanded Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Fulton County, Georgia. Representing the county’s largest infrastructure investment to date — at $350 million — the project embodied a data-driven, performance-focused approach to sustainable wastewater treatment. Through the integration of advanced membrane technology, progressive project delivery and long-range planning, Big Creek now serves as a national model for municipal utilities navigating growth and complexity. 

Engineering capacity for decades of growth

The Big Creek facility serves a diverse and rapidly growing service area encompassing residential, commercial and industrial users. Originally constructed in 1971 with a capacity of 750,000 gallons per day, the plant had been operating at 24 million gallons per day prior to expansion. 

The completed upgrade increases treatment capacity to 32 million gallons per day and is designed for seamless scalability to 38 million gallons per day. This flexible configuration enables the county to meet projected population growth and development demand for at least the next 20 years without the need for additional structural investment. 

Moreover, the facility’s hydraulic profile and modular layout enable future expansion with minimal disruption. Additional treatment units can be incorporated without reconfiguring the existing system or altering key operational parameters — an intentional strategy aimed at minimizing future capital and operational expenditures. 

Advanced membrane filtration as a performance engine

At the core of the plant’s transformation is the implementation of flat-plate membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. Building on Fulton County’s positive experience with membranes since 2009, this system was selected over hollow fiber alternatives for its superior durability, reduced maintenance demands and high throughput performance. 

The flat-plate configuration supports consistent effluent quality even under peak flow conditions, aligning with increasingly stringent regulatory discharge limits. The upgrade is expected to result in measurable reductions in total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen and phosphorus, significantly decreasing nutrient loads discharged into the receiving waterbody — the Chattahoochee River. 

In addition to enhanced treatment outcomes, the membrane system offers a compact footprint and optimized energy efficiency, which lends itself to critical consideration for urban and semi-urban facilities managing both spatial constraints and sustainability goals. 

Leveraging progressive design-build for accelerated delivery

To deliver a project of this scale and technical sophistication, Fulton County employed a progressive design-build (PDB) delivery model. This approach enabled early contractor involvement, iterative design development and continuous cost validation throughout the project lifecycle. 

One of the most substantial benefits of the PDB model was the ability to initiate early construction packages, specifically site preparation and deep foundation work, nearly nine months ahead of full design completion. This early start mitigated schedule risk, allowed the project team to stay ahead of inflationary cost pressures and enabled faster realization of operational benefits. 

Our joint venture team — led by Archer Western and Brown and Caldwell — worked alongside county staff and stakeholders throughout the design and construction phases, making iterative decisions that prioritized efficiency, constructability and long-term operations. It was a true team effort, and one that paid off at every milestone. 

The collaborative nature of PDB also allowed for real-time adjustments to construction sequencing, system integration and process optimization. These outcomes that would have been far more difficult to achieve under traditional design-bid-build delivery. 

Designing for resilience and redundancy

Modern wastewater facilities must be equipped not only for current demand, but also for a broad spectrum of contingencies. The Big Creek upgrade prioritized resilience engineering across multiple systems to ensure operational continuity in the face of environmental or infrastructure-related disruptions. 

While the previous facility relied on dual utility feeds for electrical redundancy, the upgraded plant incorporates a network of on-site diesel generators capable of operating the entire facility independently for up to 72 hours. This self-sufficiency is essential for maintaining treatment operations during grid outages, storms or other regional emergencies. 

Additionally, the facility’s new construction footprint was elevated above the 100-year floodplain, providing critical protection from extreme weather events and hydrologic variability associated with climate change. 

Minimizing construction impacts through strategic planning

Even with its technical ambitions, the Big Creek project prioritized minimizing negative impacts on the surrounding environment and community during construction. Construction logistics were carefully designed to minimize disruption to surrounding communities and environmental resources. 

The team implemented material re-use strategies to reduce hauling activity and installed noise and light mitigation systems to address quality-of-life concerns in the surrounding area. Sediment and erosion control measures were also implemented to protect adjacent waterways and ecological features. 

Throughout the construction phase, a 24-hour hotline and regular stakeholder communications helped maintain transparency and foster community trust, which are critical components of any large-scale public works initiative. 

A scalable, sustainable model for utility leaders

The expanded Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility represents more than increased capacity. It is a demonstration of how public utilities can align infrastructure investments with performance metrics, regulatory foresight and long-term community needs. 

For Fulton County, the project affirms a commitment to delivering clean water and environmental protection through technological excellence and strategic execution. By pairing flat-plate membrane technology with a progressive delivery model and a future-ready design, the county has created a facility capable of setting new benchmarks in operational resilience, scalability and environmental compliance. 

This expansion offers a replicable blueprint for other municipalities facing similar challenges, whether navigating aging infrastructure, rapid development or evolving environmental mandates. 

In public works, our greatest achievements are often the ones behind the scenes but with a big impact. With the Big Creek expansion, Fulton County has taken a proactive, technically rigorous approach to safeguarding the future of water reclamation in our region, and we’re proud to share our story as a model for others. 

David Clark is the Director of Public Works for Fulton County, overseeing water and sewer services, transportation spending, and the Fulton County Executive Airport. He has more than 30 years of experience in public works, and previously served as Public Works Director for Athens-Clarke County. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University.